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Contortionist's handbook thread

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I just finished reading the Contortionist's Handbook and I have to say its one of the best books I've ever read. Usually I hate books with extensive imagery, but Clevenger manages to weave it so beautifully into the plot, and you can see how it shows how smart and precise the narrator is.

The ending was beautiful but abrupt, Clevenger should have shown what Keara's(Molly) letter said.

What do you guys think?

P.S. The movie is coming out next year, and its being produced by the same guy that made Repo Men, that was in theaters a while ago.

particularly because of a line that i can't remember right now and i don't have the book in front of me, but it made such an image, fluorescent cockroaches dancing in the dark. hope i got that right, but i'll post the quote if i see it.

the book has been out of print for a minute now, but word filtered through the velvet just last week [from an affiliate of the cage] that the galleries for the new issue have been put to press. so, it will definitely see print again soon. i'm excited.. there's nothing like telling a friend to check it out and that friend cant order it through their retailer.

Not reading through the thread because I am just into the book and don't want spoilers. Not far enough yet to comment really on the story or characters, but I gotta say I am digging just the way Craig writes. Punchy and smooth; the way he puts words together really feels good to me. Can't explain further really. Just yeah. I'm certain to get the next one as soon as I'm done with this. Haven't liked an author's writing this much on a while.

yeah. he has an incredible way with words. but, man, he laboured over thelanguae in contortionist's. i'm sure i read some where that one of his edits was to omit any use of words like 'porobably', 'maybe', 'approximately' etc., because John would never use words like that due to him being certain of everything. nutty, but in a good way. that's commitment.

the opening couple of paragraphs are amazing. i was so into the way he opens by recounting his last five O.D's.

I feel like I just jumped into a forum time machine set for six years ago. So cool to see people (re-)discovering this.

matthew.odonnell wrote:

i read some where that one of his edits was to omit any use of words like 'porobably', 'maybe', 'approximately' etc., because John would never use words like that due to him being certain of everything.

Yep, that's Craig. Maybe it's because I learned so many of these editorial habits from him, but to me, this just seems like normal editing now. Very, very tight prose. He's ruined me for reading most novelists so full of fluff.

and, i agree with you, man. this tight prose style, where everything matters and the most petite detail is just as important as say, the reveal, well, i love it. it's admirable and i hope one day i can be that tight.

I feel like I'm the only one that didn't care for Dermaphoria that much. I mean it was a good book. But to me Contortionist Handbook was just amazing. I've read it quite a few times. Maybe I need to reread Dermaphoria...

To me, Contortionist's has more interesting concepts, more clever, and probably a better introduction to his work (more Chuck-like, too). With Derma, he stepped up his prose and descriptions several notches, but it was maybe less accessible. So hopefully the third book will fuse those and take things to yet another level, maybe escalating the storytelling or plot construction this time. The few in-progress chapters I've read were excellent.

Hands down one of my favourite books ever. And one of maybe three books I've ever read twice. I liked Dermaphoria but its mention makes we want to re-read it too now but...I've just checked my bookcase and it isn't there! Curses!

i don't really think it's necessary to know exactly what Molly had to say. she made the effort to communicate with him which showed her love. that's what was most important to me. Clevenger took it just far enough and left the reader hanging in a good way. the ending caught my breath and left me asking, "you mean that's all?!?!" perfect.

other than that, i absolutely loved the way C wrote about "mental health professionals" through Johnny. i wish i could think of more to say about it than just this gushing...
i don't say this very often because there are so many books i haven't read and want to read and should read, but i might even reread it.

i don't say this very often because there are so many books i haven't read and want to read and should read, but i might even reread it.

I feel the same way. I get weird about rereading books because there are so many great books out there I still need to get to. But there are a few that do deserve to be reread. This is one of them. I've read it 3 times now I think. It's been a while since the last time. Maybe it's time for another go?

I would like to reread Dermaphoria since there's quite a few people around here who like it better. At the time I read it, I wasn't sure if I even liked it. Maybe I'm ready to give that another read too.

remember the part where johnny remarked about watch keara get ready and he says she doesn't even notice him because it's like he's part of her normal? that was so nice i think i cried. normal. ha!
i went the next day and picked up Dermophoria bc i was having withdraw. read the first page and put it down bc i started to feel guilty. i was supposed to read Requiem for a Dream and had already two whole other books before even getting halfway through Req! so i still have Derma. i will be halfway through Req today, and then i will work on Derma.

i loved that Clevenger had Johnny in SpEd and boy school... there' s so much to love.

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